On February 9, 2023, Steve Hovious, a 58 year-old man out of Campbellsville, ran a red light at the intersection of US 68 and Main Street in Campbellsville. Mr. Hovious was driving a 2000 Honda Accord and ran into a Ford Explorer operated by Courtney Gumm of Nancy, Kentucky. Mr. Hovious died from his injuries at Taylor Regional Hospital and Ms. Gumm suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
WHY DO PEOPLE RUN RED LIGHTS?
It seems strange that someone could drive through a red light or a stop sign. How can that even happen? The number one reason for such a fundamental error on the roadway is driver distraction. People are on their cell phones, looking inside the car for something or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The most fundamental responsibility in driving a car is to keep a lookout in front of you because that is the direction that your car is traveling and stopping at a red light or stop sign is another fundamental aspect of driving.
It is hard to know what caused Mr. Hovious to fail to obey the most fundamental aspects of driving. We know he was familiar with the intersection because he lived in Campbellsville and we know he was an experienced driver because he was 58 years old. Yet, somehow he managed to drive through a red light. He allowed himself to get distracted and one of the reasons this happens is because we take for granted the danger of driving an automobile. We fail to appreciate that we are in a 2000 pound killing machine if we allow ourselves to become distracted.
BIGGER VEHICLES HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF SURVIVING CAR ACCIDENTS
I do not think it is a coincidence that the person that died in this Campbellsville car accident was in a smaller vehicle. Mr. Hovious was driving a Honda Accord and Ms. Humm was driving a Ford Explorer. The Explorer is a much larger vehicle. In addition to larger vehicles being bigger and carrying more weight to survive an accident, they also sit up higher which brings in angles that can allow penetration into the smaller vehicle. I was in an accident a few years ago, where I rear-ended a tractor pulling a trailer at night and I was driving an SUV. Due to the height of the SUV, the trailer hit the front grille of the SUV. Had I been in my sedan vehicle, the trailer would have gone through my windshield. Where there is penetration into the vehicle, there is greater chance of severe injury and death.
HOW TO AVOID RED-LIGHT ACCIDENTS
It is easy to avoid driving through a red light or stop sign. All you have to do is never take your eyes off the road in front of you. The harder thing to do is to avoid being hit by another driver who goes through a red light or stop sign. You may think that it is impossible to avoid another driver that goes through a red light, but I do believe there are some things we can do to avoid some of these accidents.
The first thing we can do is to appreciate the danger as we approach any intersection and not to assume that everyone will see the red light and obey it. I guarantee you that Ms. Humm, who was involved in the Campbellsville accident, will have no problem appreciating the danger of an intersection after her accident. As we approach any intersection, we should be looking to see if the vehicles approaching the intersection are slowing down and if not, then we should honk our horns and only proceed when it is safe.
Remember, the goal each time we drive our cars is to arrive safely and not to be without fault in an accident. We want to arrive safely and not just follow the rules of the roadway. You can follow the rules of the roadway and end up dead.
CONTACT KENTUCKY CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER
If you are involved in a car, truck or motorcycle accident, you will require the services of an experienced Kentucky car accident attorney to investigate the cause of the accident and maximize all benefits available to the victims and their families. Matthew Troutman, a Kentucky car accident lawyer, of the Troutman Law Office has been handling auto accident claims, almost exclusively, since 1986 and has the experience and talent to obtain the best result for the victims in the above car accident.
If you need legal assistance due to a motor vehicle accident, contact Kentucky car accident attorney Matthew Troutman directly at 859-696-0001 or 502-648-9507 and he will meet with you in the hospital, your home or wherever is convenient for you. He will give you direct access through his cell phone and guide you through the difficult process necessary to obtain the best result possible for you in your car accident claim. To learn more about Lexington car accident attorney Matthew Troutman and the Troutman Law Office, click here.